Public Safety in the Dominican Republic

Learn about the public safety in the country and the most important recommendations for your trip.

The most common recommendations for travellers who do not know the area is, on the first place, not to wander near the isolated areas of the city center or the Malecón once it is dark; especially in Santo Domingo where it is better to take a cab if you are going to a party. Likewise, it is not advisable to openly showing off jewels on the street and very crowded markets. However, the objects of desire for thieves are ID cards, passports and residence cards as they can be resold easily.

The tourist police, known as politur, is scattered throughout the island and exhibit a very correct behavior with the travellers. It is advisable to go to this service as it is more reliable than the National Police. You can easily recognize them by their uniform with a white shirt and blue bermudas; furthermore, they drive motorcycles or all-terrains.

On the other hand, there is also private police, also known as the ‘guachimanes’, which watch some businesses or residential areas; they carry fire guns but they clothe as civilians.

In the hotels, the security is pretty good although it is always advisable to put everything away with a lot of precaution.

Besides, while driving, one of the most extended practices is the bribery when it comes to little traffic fines; but you have to previously tested the ground and do it sensibly.

Another important recommendation is to be careful with the prostitutes or ‘leathers’ since, in many occasions, they steal the tourist while fondling them as a distraction.

In the case of pulling, this usually happens in tourist areas, although the pickpockets are widely extended.

The tiniest beggars bother the traveller in most of the tourist areas; they usually sell coffee, snacks or clean shoes.

Regarding drug smuggling, it is heavily prosecuted and the simple weed or cocaine possession means a huge fine, in the best of cases, or even prison for a year without the possibility of fine.